Confidence man jailed

Press, 9 May 1980, Page 5

Confidence man jailed

; 'A man, who suffered delusions that he was an under- ■ cover agent, appeared to be nothing more than a plaui • sible confidence trickster, Judge Pain said in the District Court yesterday, when r he sentenced John Perkovic, aged 50, an unemployed commercial artist, .to 18 months imprisonment. ; Perkovic was appearing for sentence on four charges of false pretences involving valueless cheques in which he defrauded persons of $6772. He was found guilty on the charges after a defended hearing. Mr K. Jones, for Perkovic, L said that the defendant still maintained that the story he told the probation officer , and the psychiatrist relating to his activities as an undercover agent were true. He also claimed that he had substantial funds in

Australia from which he would repay the persons whom he defrauded. In-

quiries with the bank Pe-r- -• kovic named held his funds y bore no fruit.

1 It was obvious that psychiatric problems were associated with the offending . and that a degree of intrigue ? and delusion motivated Per- ■ kpvic. He had spent four ' months in jail since his ar- !, rest in January. Although he p had been granted bail, he

■ had been unable to get sureties, Mr Jones said. Judge Pain said that the way in which Perkovic went about the frauds and in-; volve' 4 others branded him as a plausible confidence trickster. All the indications were that this type of con- . duct was an ingrained part of his everyday life. “It was not certain whether you believe in your ; fantasies or are merely ; devious and deliberately set ' out to defraud. Perhaps it is ■ a combination of both. “You are such a risk in the community you must be removed. Society needs pro- ; tection from the likes of you : and you will be jailed for a ■ substantial period because of ; your propensity for this . type of offending and to protect the community,” said ; Judge Pain. i There was no foundation

in fact for Perkovic’s claim that he was going to repay persons whom he had de-

frauded and he saw that as just another of his fantasies. Judge Pain said.

On a charge of forging a Commercial Bank of Australia passbook bj 7 altering the balance from S2 to $2,000,002 Perkovic was remanded to June 9 for a defended hearing. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge.